Afghan, Nato forces 'rout' Taliban militants

Afghan and Nato-led forces killed or wounded hundreds of Taliban yesterday in an offensive to clear the militants from the outskirts of Kandahar city, according to the provincial governor.

Nato spokesmen in Kabul said it was too early to say whether Taliban fighters, including many who escaped during a mass jail break last week, had been routed from positions among the orchards and farms of Arghandab district, northwest of Kandahar.

Yesterday, Afghan and mostly Canadian Nato forces attacked enemy positions, having used helicopter gunships at the start of what had shaped up to be one of the biggest battles in Afghanistan in recent years.

Nato has said the offensive, which began on Wednesday, was expected to last until the weekend, and it estimated that some 600 Taliban fighters had slipped into the Arghandab valley.

Kandahar provincial governor Assadullah Khalid told a news conference that the Taliban had been driven out, and troops were searching villagers' houses for fighters left behind.

"The Taliban have been cleared totally from Arghandab district," Mr Khalid said.

"They have suffered hundreds of dead and wounded and many of their casualties are Pakistanis," he said.

Defence Ministry spokesman Zaher Azimi also said Arghandab district had been retaken, and 56 insurgents killed. Mr Azimi said two Afghan army officers had been killed and two wounded.

Yet, Nato officials said there had been no major encounters or heavy bombardments and it was too early to agree with Governor Khalid's assessment that the Taliban had been evicted.

"I think he says that on the basis that there has been no engagement," said the spokesman, Captain Mike Finney.